For some time now various Cornish groups have been campaigning for the Cornish to be recognised as a national minority for coverage under the Council of Europe’s framework convention for the protection of national minorities; more here on the FCPNM: Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
All European countries have specified to the Council of Europe the groups which are recognised, within their jurisdictions, under the FCPNM, with the sole exception of the UK.
The UK has stated to the Council of Europe that it does not know which groups are covered since there is no official list of groups but, despite this serious admission, they still feel able to assert that they comply fully with the Framework Convention! This is bizarre since it must be impossible for the British government to know whether it is complying, or not without an official list of the groups it is covering!
In spite of this gaping deficiency in its application generally, the government makes its position even worse by effectively declaring that, in so far as the Cornish are concerned, "Well we don't have a list but even if we did have one, you Cornish wouldn't be on it"!!!
The UK government has told the CoE that it does protect its national minorities but it uses its race relations act formula and does not as such recognise legally the term national minority. The RRA formula means that the Scots, Welsh and the English (even though the English are a national majority) are recognised as distinct groups because at some time or other a case involving these nations has been brought to court. The Cornish are not covered and therefore do not qualify for equal treatment and funding of their culture and identity. Every time Cornish folk have tried to bring a case it has been stifled through lack of support from the commission for racial equality and because of Institutionalised Discrimination engendered, and engineered, against the Cornish national minority.
Recently the government had to give a report to the CoE concerning the FCPNM and in the build up numerous Cornish groups and individuals submitted information and questions in an attempt to get the Cornish recognised and covered.
The Government refused to do this providing the most spurious of reasons; for more information read here: Cornish Stannary Parliament Archives - Reply from FUEN criticising FCNM draft report
To challenge this an attempt was made by the civil rights group Cornwall 2000 to secure through the High Court an interim prohibitory injunction preventing the Secretary of State from submitting the UK 2nd Report on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to the Council of Europe without first subjecting that document to judicial scrutiny. The hearing took place on Friday 26th January 2007 before Mr Justice Mitting in Court 3 at 10.30am. This action was with regard to the inconsistencies and misadministration by the Home Office. Principally by the Race Equality Unity (REU), which now resides within the recently creation Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
This link provides you with the details of the stitch-up organised by the UK courts system, it makes for some interesting reading: Cornish Stannary Parliament Archives - CSP fight for Judicial review of policy towards the Cornish
Is this the kind of behaviour the CoE and expects from one of it member states? This is simply based on being treated equally to others within the legal processes.
If you want to help the addresses you can e-mail with your complaints are all here: http://www.kernowtgg.co.uk/fcpnmti.html
All European countries have specified to the Council of Europe the groups which are recognised, within their jurisdictions, under the FCPNM, with the sole exception of the UK.
The UK has stated to the Council of Europe that it does not know which groups are covered since there is no official list of groups but, despite this serious admission, they still feel able to assert that they comply fully with the Framework Convention! This is bizarre since it must be impossible for the British government to know whether it is complying, or not without an official list of the groups it is covering!
In spite of this gaping deficiency in its application generally, the government makes its position even worse by effectively declaring that, in so far as the Cornish are concerned, "Well we don't have a list but even if we did have one, you Cornish wouldn't be on it"!!!
The UK government has told the CoE that it does protect its national minorities but it uses its race relations act formula and does not as such recognise legally the term national minority. The RRA formula means that the Scots, Welsh and the English (even though the English are a national majority) are recognised as distinct groups because at some time or other a case involving these nations has been brought to court. The Cornish are not covered and therefore do not qualify for equal treatment and funding of their culture and identity. Every time Cornish folk have tried to bring a case it has been stifled through lack of support from the commission for racial equality and because of Institutionalised Discrimination engendered, and engineered, against the Cornish national minority.
Recently the government had to give a report to the CoE concerning the FCPNM and in the build up numerous Cornish groups and individuals submitted information and questions in an attempt to get the Cornish recognised and covered.
The Government refused to do this providing the most spurious of reasons; for more information read here: Cornish Stannary Parliament Archives - Reply from FUEN criticising FCNM draft report
To challenge this an attempt was made by the civil rights group Cornwall 2000 to secure through the High Court an interim prohibitory injunction preventing the Secretary of State from submitting the UK 2nd Report on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to the Council of Europe without first subjecting that document to judicial scrutiny. The hearing took place on Friday 26th January 2007 before Mr Justice Mitting in Court 3 at 10.30am. This action was with regard to the inconsistencies and misadministration by the Home Office. Principally by the Race Equality Unity (REU), which now resides within the recently creation Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
This link provides you with the details of the stitch-up organised by the UK courts system, it makes for some interesting reading: Cornish Stannary Parliament Archives - CSP fight for Judicial review of policy towards the Cornish
Is this the kind of behaviour the CoE and expects from one of it member states? This is simply based on being treated equally to others within the legal processes.
If you want to help the addresses you can e-mail with your complaints are all here: http://www.kernowtgg.co.uk/fcpnmti.html
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